Best of São Miguel Island

Traveler Reviews

• LK

  Lisa1.0•October 2024
  Led by Sunday
  Not a tour where you were with the same group of people. you go on a bus with different people on different days and...
  Not a tour where you were with the same group of people. you go on a bus with different people on different days and no one stayed in the same location so no group bonding. Hotel was weak. Overall not a good experience.Show more
  Traveled in October 2024
  

  Reply from: Destination Services Portugal

  Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re truly sorry to hear that your experience did not meet your expectations. We understand how important group connection and consistent accommodations can be to the overall enjoyment of a tour, and we’re sorry this aspect fell short for you. Some of our itineraries do combine shared day tours with different travelers, which allows flexibility, but we understand this might not be ideal for everyone. Regarding the hotel, we’re especially sorry to hear it didn’t meet your standards. We’ll make sure to review this with our local partners to ensure improvements are made. Thank you again for your honest review.

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• CL

  Chrystal4.0•September 2023
  Overall the tour was good. The response coordinating the trip was great. They did change 1 item on the itinerary but...
  Overall the tour was good. The response coordinating the trip was great. They did change 1 item on the itinerary but it was no problem. I didn't like the location of the hotel. There was nothing close by (shops, restaurants, etc.). This also wasn't a tour where you were with the same group of people. It was more solo where you met different people on different days and no one stayed in the same location so very little group bonding. It was nice on the days I had the rental car so I was able to get out to stores, restaurants and sights. The last day there was a dinner but it was so far from the location of the hotel, I didn't even bother going. Note: the canyoning was well worth it!Show more
  Traveled in September 2023
  

  Reply from: Destination Services Portugal

  Hello Chrystal, Thank you very much for your review. We are glad that you were able to enjoy your trip. We are sorry that you did not like the location of the hotel. Our hotels are usually closer but given the difficult dates, we did everything possible to get a good category accommodation on that date. It's great that you could enjoy Sao Miguel and its shops, restaurants, places of interest... In addition to the activities. We hope to see you soon on one of our tours. Have a nice day! Best regards, RG.

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  Marc5.0•May 2023
  I had an absolute blast on my trip. I needed some customization on the tour as I wanted to visit other islands on the...
  I had an absolute blast on my trip. I needed some customization on the tour as I wanted to visit other islands on the Azores and the operator was quick in adapting to my needs and sent me through various options. This was a self-drive tour and everything from the accommodation to car hire was great. The operation suggested some great accommodations that I probably would have not found myself. Stayed in some local Adegas on Pico Island and got to experience everything Pico and Failal had to offer - from whale watching, hiking, and wine tasting. Destination Services Portugal was always prompt in replying and even provided some great local suggestions on what to do and see. Highly recommend this trip to any nature lover, hiker, and someone who simply wants to have a relaxed vacation.Show more
  Traveled in April 2023
  

  Reply from: Destination Services Portugal

  Hello, Marc! Thank you very much for your review. We are glad that you enjoyed your trip. We`re waiting for you soon back here. Have a nice day! Best regards, DS Portugal Team.

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  Ilda2.0•March 2023
  This trip was totally misrepresented by your company. I spent a week alone on an island alone. Luckily I spoke the...
  This trip was totally misrepresented by your company. I spent a week alone on an island alone. Luckily I spoke the language and was able to manouver around! The itinerary posted by your was entirely changed from what was presented on line and why I picked this excursion. Day 1. Instead of seeing Sete Cidades, etc. I was changed to a walking tour of Lagos de Fogo which turned out to be a 3.5 mile HIKE up a volcano, a brown paper bag lunch, and the 3+ mile back down. Entire day spent on this hike. At the age of 65 this was an extreme journey and it took a lot for me to accomplish this . I was pushed to my limit and held the other 2 girls up because it was difficult to climb but I had no alternative. Day 2..completely changed iitinerary again, less popular locations but likable locales and overall a nice day with a charming guide and 4 other people. Day 3 was this ridiculous car situation. Nothing was delivered to me. I had to find my way to the rental location only to find out I have a shift car that I can’t drive and have to pay $130 to change to a drivable car. This took half the morning. I was extremely upset by this time and went to this Whale watching event in which I spent vomiting over the side of the boat the entire 3 hours and couldn’t wait to get back to the hotel! Day 4 I was able to find my way around the city of Furnas , driving up very narrow roads up, these mountains to remote places ALONE. It’s a good thing I didn’t get hurt or felt sick. Day 5 started with the return of the car because with the change to an automatic car I had to return it next morning so I had no transportation and nothing I could do except revisit Punita Delgado which I had done on arrival day. Overall, the island was quite lovely even though I missed the major sites of it. I was miserably alone and at times frightened navigating without any knowledge of where I was going or what to expect. I believe you and Destination Services need to coordinate this trip accurately or use Pico Adventura which is the tour group they pawned me out to, they were organized and knowledgeable! It will be along time before I consider using your company again Beyond disappointing, ILDA BOUCHIEShow more
  Traveled in March 2023